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This time the series goes much further back in history to an 18th Century house in Bristol. Bristol has always been a multicultural/multi ethnic city and these stories have been some of the most interesting so far.

Episode 1 includes

A parish register entry for the baptism of a 3 month old child, Martha, who had been abondoned on the steps of our house in 1728, no indication of who the father was, but what hapened next to Martha?

To honor Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, we're proud to offer free access* to everything on Fold3® — now through Monday.

Explore more than 550+ million records. Military records can provide incredible details about the heroes in your family. Find the veterans who served our country and uncover unique personal details you won’t discover anywhere else.

Mostly American Military Sources but there are some British Records. Click on World War Two to find out which

*Access to all records on Fold3® will be free until 25 May 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using a paid Fold3® membership.

e sure to check out Find my Past Friday today as they are marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day with an exciting release of rare wartime photos and a bumper collection of World War 2 records.

75 years on from Victory in Europe Day, two major wartime record collections have joined the site. Here is the link to the details on what's new this week.

A huge photo collection the first 10,000 issued today covering mostly the period of the Second World War. Lovely clear images taken from Daily Mirror and Manchester Evening News eventually will cover all their images from 1904 - 2020

My name is Rav Dehele and I'm researcher with BBC. We are currently working on some programming in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of VE Day.

As a part of this programming we are currently working on making a short film that involves family members of veterans sending in a short video message to say thank you, and to say how proud they are of their family members' contribution and sacrifice during the Second World War.

I was wondering if you would be able to share the official BBC flyer (see attached) with your members, or on your social media channels? We would love to try and as many video messages as possible.

The flyer directs people to an email address. Once they have sent an email to that address, they will receive instructions on what we would like to them film, how they need to film it - and will also provide a link for them to upload their videos.

Whether their family member was a solider, a Wren, an engineer, a pilot etc. - we think this short film would be the perfect way to honour and preserve their legacy.

If you need any more information please do let me know - I am reachable by phone/email at any time.

Alternatively, if you have any direct contacts of those who served during the war - even in munitions factories etc - we would absolutely love to get in touch :)

Free access to digital records

Wednesday 22 April 2020

NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

We are making digital records available on our website free of charge for as long as our Kew site is closed to visitors.

Registered users will be able to order and download up to 10 items at no cost, to a maximum of 50 items over 30 days. The limits are there to try and help manage the demand for content and ensure the availability of our digital services for everyone.

To access the service and download for free, users will be required to:

Register/sign in to their Discovery account before adding items to their basket (maximum ten items per basket)

The Scottish Indexes Conference will start at 7 am (BST) on Friday 1 May 2020 and finish after 10 pm (BST). The virtual event will be live-streamed to the Scottish Indexes Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/groups/scottishindexes) and will be available on Zoom. The interactive programme will feature the presentations “DNA Testing for Family History” by Michelle Leonard, “Tracing the Irish in Scotland” by Chris Paton, “Sources in Scotland for Tracing Scottish Emigrants” by Kirsty Wilkinson, among others. George MacKenzie, former Keeper of the Records of Scotland, will deliver an intriguing presentation, “...bread & cheese & kisses is not enough…”. There will be opportunities to ask the expert panellists questions throughout the day.

Speaking about the last conference, professional genealogist Cinda Baxter said, “A huge and hearty thanks again to Emma and Graham for providing the virtual conference. What a labor of love (and terrific gift) during these crazy times.”

www.scottishindexes.com is run by husband and wife team Graham and Emma Maxwell, both experienced Scottish genealogists. As well as helping clients with their family history, Graham and Emma also index historical Scottish records and make them available for free on their website.

ENDS

We are attaching an image for your use. If you would like to know more about this event, please email Emma Maxwell -

Description

Online talk

What's On-Line is a series of free, pre-recorded online talks delivered by our experts, here at The National Archives.

Description

Using examples of records and case studies relating to both immigrants and emigrants held in our collection, this talk will explain how to search for and interpret records such as passenger lists, passports, registration and naturalisation records.

This talk will be delivered by Roger Kershaw, Migration Records Specialist at The National Archives.

· Starter - All the crucial records for starting a family tree and tracing your roots back five generations. The Starter package also enables you to benefit from the research of other members by matching common ancestors to the names stored in your family tree

· Plus – Billions of family records that will enable you to take your research further and tell a more detailed story. Search for your ancestors across all birth, marriage, death, census, work, education, military, travel and social history records

· Pro – Explore everything Findmypast has to offer. Pro covers access to all 13 billion UK, Irish and world records as well as Findmypast’s exclusive newspaper archive spanning more three centuries of British and world history.

Online family history research is the perfect stay-at-home activity and building a family tree on Findmypast is the first step towards exploring your family’s story in vivid detail.

Findmypast’s unrivalled collections to continue to grow by an average of 4 million names a day and cover a wide range of resources, many of which can’t be found anywhere else online.

Findmypast to help isolated users stay connected

With most of us now remaining at home and limiting contact with loved ones, Findmypast is inviting anyone with an interest in family history to join their online community.

Findmypast has been working hard to ensure their online community can provide support to all those who need it and a way of staying connected to others through their popular Facebook page.

To keep members busy and encourage discussion, Findmypast will be running a programme of interactive activities including “Ask Me Anything” sessions with in-house experts, masterclasses on a variety of topics, live discussions, fun research activities and more.

Simply follow Findmypast on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest online events and activaties, chat to other community members, share knowledge, and stay connected.

Following Government advice, our research centres are closed at present and all group meetings have been cancelled, we hope to still keep in touch by sending out more regular newsletters and you will still be notified when the latest copy of the Ancestor goes online. While we are all social isolating/distancing this is a perfect opportunity to catch up on some research. You can visit our website to:

- post queries in our Research Forum to see if other researchers can assist you (separate forums for non-members and members)

- get access to the Worldwide Exchange Journals collection we hold, just in case there are any useful snippets

- download our research guides to help you with your research

- download material from our shop which has a growing collection of Memorial Inscriptions and other useful research material (available to anyone)

Membership Renewals at the end of June

Disruption to public services or being confined to home may make it more difficult for members to renew their subscriptons. We would, therefore, like to recommend members who normally pay by cheque to use one of the following methods

1) An instruction to your bank to transfer your subscription directly to the FHSC Santander bank account, Sort Code 72-00-01 Account Number 22835506. Using your membership number as the payment reference.

2) Set up a Standing Order with your Bank, using the mandate inside the March and June printed copies of Cheshire Ancestor.

Make certain to include your membership number as ID in the appropriate space on the mandate.

3) Make a payment using Paypal, quoting your membership number as ID.

4) Use the FHSC website to renew your membership directly.

Whichever method you decide to use, please remember to clearly identify your membership number and your Surname. It can be difficult for us to identify your payment without your membership number. The easiest way to find your membership number is to log on to our website and scroll down to the last column on the.right under My Membership Status then click Update my details/renew. You will find it under FHSC Membership. If you are really having problems logging in please contact: Gay J Oliver:

We are all hoping that the present sitiaution will abate as soon as possible. In the meantime, we wish everyone continuing good health and good progress with their family history research, and we look forward to resuming our normal activities as soon as it is safe to do so

Sadly due to coronavirus we are having to close our Research Centre at Mobberley from Monday 23rd March until Further Notice. Most of our volunteers are 70+ and will have to self isolate and similarly our visitors.

We are very sorry about this, but do hope it wont be too long bofore were are able to open again. Meanwhile you can use our online Forum to ask questions and hopefully will still be able to get help this way or to help other members.

Cumbria FHS and Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society have been operating a London Branch over a number of years and normally offer six meetings a year on a Saturday afternoon. This Branch helps to provide some additional benefit for some London based or near London based members. Interest from the members of this Branch has been falling so it was decided to relaunch the London Branch with some additional support from the North West and also inviting Members of other North West FH Societies to join them. Members of the NWGFHS’s gave a positive response and there is some commitment for financial support. Members of FHSC therefore are invited to attend these meetings, giving the opportunity to share your NW Family history research.

The first meeting under the new management committee will take place on Saturday 7th March 2020 at Saint Stephens Church, Gloucester Road, and Southwell Gardens, London SW7 4RL commencing at 2.00pm.

The speaker will be Ian Waller FSG FGRA and his subject will be "What Happened to Lucy?"

Before 1927 and legal adoption what happened to the unwanted child? Even after 1927 children were exploited, although supposedly cared for by institutions and well caring organisations. This talk looks at the plight of adoptees, foundlings, orphans and the Empire children (Child Migrants), essentially through the 19th & 20th centuries.

This is a new venue, St Stephens is easy to find on the junction of Gloucester Road and Southwell Gardens, South Kensington SW7 4RL There is a collection plate for admission, a free drink to lubricate the frank and friendly exchange of information and tips and hear relevant talks by guest speakers or our group members. There is another meeting planned for Saturday 2 May 2020.

Can anyone planning to attend please email to indicate numbers of those intending to come along.

All paid subscriptions to the Family History Society of Cheshire run from 1 July to the 30 June the following year.

However, if you join between 1 April and 30 June you will be granted membership until 30 June of the following year. This provides up to 15 months membership for the cost of 12 months.

NEWS - For 2020 ONLY this offer has been extended so that anyone JOINING (not applicable to renewals) between 1 January and 30 June will be granted membership until 30 June 2021

Click on Membership where you can decide upon a membership plan which entitles you to be notified when our latest Ancestor goes online Normally £13 per annum, or if you would prefer to receive printed copies £18. This means that if you join now your membership will cost £1 per month or less. Your membership also entitles you to access surnames our members are researching and around twenty five other digital magazines from Societies across the world. We are constantly adding to our recources online.

FOR MORE INFORMATION read the instructions in the blue columns at the bottom of our website. You can join directly on-line, but there is also a printable application form if you prefer to apply by post.

Angela and I attended their Conference in September and thoroughly enjoyed it. They have a fabulous line up of speakers including Dr Nick Barratt and Debbie Kennett.

They are hosting a half day conference on Friday 20th March where the topics will consist of what was life was like farming in Tudor times and Commonwealth War Graves records.

Their Full day conference in September Saturday 19th where topics will include One place Names – Janet Few., Putting your ancestors in place. Debbie Kennett on the Joy of Surnames and Dr Nick Barratt on House Histories. One more speaker yet to book.

Looks like an exciting line up of lectures including the full graveyard project at St John’s, Mike Nevelle talking about the Priory at Cheetham’s Park, the Archaeological finds at Mesolithic sites at Iron Tongue Hill, Carrbook and Grange farm in Hattersley. Full details in the flyer attached plus booking form £10 for the day pdf
Click here to download a flyer and booking form
(505 KB)

The Chester Group of the Family History Society of Cheshire celebrated its 50th anniversary last week. The group was formed in 1969 and held its first meetings at Stanley Palace. During that year the group joined with another family history group in Sale to form the Family History Society of Cheshire which was one of the earliest county family history societies in the country. The Society has grown from an initial membership of about 80 to a current membership of over 1,500. There are now thirteen local branches spread across the historical county of Cheshire, a county-wide Computer Group which meets in Hartford, two family history libraries and research centres, one at Mobberley and one at Crewe, and an award winning magazine and website.

At last week's meeting to celebrate the anniversary, Chester Group Leader David Guyton welcomed members and a number of special guests including two whose membership dated back to the formation of the Society in 1969, two former Chester Group Leaders, and representatives from the Family History Society of Cheshire including the recently re-elected Chairman, Alan Bennett, who also happened to be Chairman when the Chester Group celebrated its 40th anniversary. David Guyton gave a short talk highlighting some interesting and amusing items discovered during the course of family history research and showing some photographs of Chester fifty years ago. It was striking just how much the shopping scene has changed and how dated the City of Chester buses and private cars of the period now looked. Following the talk, Alan Bennett cut a ceremonial cake specially decorated with Chester's coat of arms and members and visitors took part in a family history quiz and enjoyed some festive food and refreshments.

The Chester Group holds meetings on the last Thursday of the month at All Saints Church in Hoole, Chester. Most meetings feature a speaker on an aspect of family history or local history. As well as a talk, there is a family history help desk and the opportunity to discuss family history topics with other members. Many members have particular areas of knowledge on family history or experience with using computers and the internet for family history. There is also a raffle and tea, coffee and biscuits are served at the end of the meeting. New members and visitors are always welcome.

The Group also runs two family history help desks. The help desk at the Chester History and Heritage Centre previously at St Michael's Church in Bridge Street, Chester, is now at the Grosvenor Museum in Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD. Opening times are 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. There is also a help desk at the Library at Storyhouse from 10 am to 12 noon on Tuesdays. Whether you are a newcomer to family history or are looking for some local knowledge or have run up against a brickwall or would like some help on a computing or internet aspect of family history, just ask. There is always somebody who would be pleased to help.

For more information check the Family History Society of Cheshire website at www.fhsc.org.uk or contact the Chester Group at .

This year for our GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY we held our AGM at the Lion Salt works at Northwich. It proved a very good format and an excellent venue. We had two excellent talks, one by David Thomas our Northwich Group leader all about the Anderton Boatlift where he had worked for several years. A Marveloous feat of engineering and a feature of the landscape fascinating to watch it in action. Our second talk was by Peter Solan all about the history and extrraction of salt in Cheshire; how it was laid down and created in the first place and the vast millions of tons lying underneath Cheshire. I was particularly interested in his study of the linguistics of the word SALT prefixed SAL this side of Europe and over the Alps prefixed HAL.

The museum has an intersting shop with many books and crystals for sale. Somee of us ate lunch atthe Salt barge Pub across the road. and after the afternoon talk wa a complimentary cream tea.

The business of our AGM was failry short and brief, with a report from our retiring Chairman, Victoria. All the very best for you travels. our webmaster, Alan Bennett, was voted in as our new Chairman. He has done the job before so knows what is expected. He will continue as our Webmaster and will see us through a period of change for Family History Societies.

We also presented Ian Hartas with a lifelong membership for all his years of work creating and implementing the UKBMD project now covering eleven geographical areas of the UK. Thank you Ian.

During the meeting our chairman, Victoria Doran, stood down as she has decided to spend the next 18 months touring the world. I am sure we all send our good wishes for what should be a fantastic experience for Victoria.

I have been elected to fill the void as chairman, a role I previously held from 2008 until 2012.

I will also continue as webmaster and hope that I can find the necessary time for both roles.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in my new role.

My main focus will be how to restructure the society to provide what members need and our survival through turbulent times for family history societies.

On 1st and 2nd of July 2019 Thomas Duckenfield and his family visited Dukinfield. This was a long awaited visit. Tom and I have been friends and collaborators for around 12 years via the internet with our joint interest in the Dukinfield Family's ancestry, particularly their slave plantation interests in Jamaica and North Carolina.

This was a whistle stop tour visiting as many sites as possible connected with the Dukinfield Family and a Civic Reception at Dukinfield Town Hall, (photograph above. Thomas pictured with his ancestor Robert Duckenfield of Civil War fame).

Tom, a descendant from the Dukinfield Plantation in Jamaica, is a gracious, distinguished man with a lovely family which Dukinfield was delighted to entertain.

The main point of his visit was to meet with the Friends of Old Hall Chapel, Dukinfield to help further their ambition to preserve the Chapel as a Conserved Ruin. More on their website, http://www.oldhallchapel.org/

I have written a summation of my research into the Slave Connections in Jamaica and North Carolina. Its an exciting story including slaves, pirates, the Lost Colony of Roankoe Island and the foundation of New Haven Connecticut by the Eaton family from Cheshire http://tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/duckenfieldvisit.html

To Celebrate why not join to take part in the celebrations and what we have to offer. Over the 25 years I have been a member I have met wonderful friends, shared interests, visited many of the other groups, all very friendly and make you most welcome.

Becoming a member opens doors to exciting offers, free help, we show you how to help yourselves, you must do the hard work, its addictive once you get started you don’t want to stop! Who knows you could be related to Royalty or maybe not, but I can promise you, your journey takes you on a long path of twists and turns, intriguing, sometimes frustrating but never dull!

The very recent problems for people renewing or upgrading their subscriptions by PAYPAL have now been resolvedby the software developers of our Memberhsip software. Everything should be working fine now.

This is your opportunity to get into print! To commemorate the Society’s Golden anniversary in 2019, the Society is launching a very special members’ competition. Members are invited to submit an article to the competition for publication in the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR. In addition to publication, the winner will receive a £50 voucher to spend on FHSC Society publications, and a one - year digital subscription to Family Tree Magazine kindly offered by Warners Group Publications. Two runners-up will each receive a £25 voucher to spend on FHSC Society publications. The competition is open only to those who are current members of FHSC, and who joined prior to 1 July 2019. The article should be about “a golden moment” in your family history journey. This could be about breaking through a brick wall or an unexpected discovery related to the life of an ancestor. Ancestors can be male or female and the article should explain your special moment in your family history research. Further details are available in the June edition of Cheshire Ancestor.

This is an opportunity to win a free 3-day pass, worth £149, to the UK’s biggest genealogy conference, RootsTech London 2019, which takes place at the London ExCel Conference Centre from Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th October, 2019. Keynote speakers include Dan Snow, Nick Barratt and Donny Osmond – see RootsTech.org for full details.

About ten years ago, when I was at the National Archives I copied some of the Home Office papers relating to the Murphy Riots in Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge, meaning to write up the details at some future date. Its taken me a long time and it is mainly due to help from a colleague, David Mason, for transcribing the names of the special constables appointed to help deal with the riots and a list of petitioners of the residents of Ashton demanding an inquiry after the event.:

For full details click on Membership Options, but just for starters as a Registered Member you will be able to purchase things from our shop (This will be launched in the New Year), but you will be able to add the Surnames you are researching in Cheshire and search to see if others are researching the same family names. Click on My Membership to find out more. You can also check the holdings at both our Research Centres and attend meetings at any of our groups at visitor rates. You can chose to follow any of our groups.

If you become a fully paid up member you can then add and Research Surnames world wide, downnload copies of our Cheshire Ancestor, in addition we have made reciprocal arrangements with other Family History Societies in the UK, Canada and Australia. You can find these under the My Membership menu under RESEARCH - READ EXCHANGE JOURNALS.

Under the same Menu there is a set of Research Resources to help you with your research.{rscomments on}